Pre-Study on Value Chains in Aragatsotn and Shirak Marzes For
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Pre-Study on value chains in Aragatsotn and Shirak Marzes for the “Strengthening current and future employment and self- employment programmes through sustainable value chain management systems under the Migration Resource Centres and Local Centres of the State Employment Agency” project 1 TABLE OF CONTENT Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. 4 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5 2. Social-economic analysis of selected regions ...................................................................... 6 Aragatsotn region ......................................................................................................................... 6 Shirak region .............................................................................................................................. 10 Analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the region .................................................................. 13 3. Migration situation in Armenia .......................................................................................... 14 4. Study findings ..................................................................................................................... 16 Research Methodology ............................................................................................................... 16 Research findings - Aragatsotn region ....................................................................................... 17 Research findings - Shirak region .............................................................................................. 25 Results of focus group discussions ............................................................................................ 30 Interview with expert on Dual Citizenship ................................................................................ 31 5. Community development ................................................................................................... 32 Shirak region - state strategies and priorities ............................................................................. 32 Aragatsotn region- state strategies and priorities ....................................................................... 33 Community consolidation .......................................................................................................... 35 6. Projects implemented in Aragatsotn and Shirak regions by local and international organizations .................................................................................................................................. 36 Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) ........................................................................................... 36 ENPARD Technical Assistance: Producer Group and Value Chain Development ................... 37 Armenian Caritas Projects .......................................................................................................... 38 Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia ....................................................................................... 39 World Vision Armenia Projects ................................................................................................. 40 Partnership for Rural Prosperity Program (PRP) ....................................................................... 41 7. Mandates of Armenian state institutions ............................................................................ 42 2 Ministry of Diaspora of the RA.................................................................................................. 42 State Migration Service of the RA ............................................................................................. 42 State employment service of the RA .......................................................................................... 42 International Labor Organization (ILO) ..................................................................................... 42 Repat Armenia............................................................................................................................ 43 8. Regulations and policies ..................................................................................................... 43 Legal Framework for the Establishment of Business in RA ...................................................... 43 9. National (Labor) Migration Management Systems ............................................................ 46 2012-2016 Activity Plan for State Regulation Policy on Migration in RA ............................... 46 10. The Assessment of Foreign or National Qualifications in Armenia .................................. 48 11. Conclusion and recommendation ....................................................................................... 50 Suggested value chains in Aragatsotn region ............................................................................. 51 Suggested value chains in Shirak region .................................................................................... 55 business evaluation Suggested methods (PACA methodology) ................................................ 58 CDIS suggested model and basic operation procedures ............................................................ 60 12. Bibliography ....................................................................................................................... 63 13. Appendix 1. Strategic Projects in the regions .................................................................... 65 Appendix 1.1 - Shirak Region .................................................................................................... 65 Appendix 1.2- Aragatsotn region ............................................................................................... 68 3 ABBREVIATIONS CIM Centre for International Migration and Development ENPARD European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development HEI Higher Education Institution ICARE International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education ILCS Integrated Living Condition Survey NICARM National Information Centre for Academic Recognition and Mobility NSS National statistical service of RA RA Republic of Armenia SME DNC Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center 4 1. INTRODUCTION Within the scope of Pre-Study on value chains in Aragatsotn and Shirak Marzes for the “Strengthening current and future employment and self-employment programmes through sustainable value chain management systems under the Migration Resource Centres and Local Centres of the State Employment Agency” project, research team of International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education (ICARE) Foundation investigated economic development opportunities in Aragatsotn and Shirak regions and the skills that migrants and potential migrants in the regions should possess to successfully get involved in labor market in their region and in Armenia in general. For the implementation of strategies that will promote business development and self-employment in the regions with the aim of lowering the rates of migration in the regions the following steps/working packages were carried out by ICARE research team: Secondary data analysis with the purpose of assessing business environment and legislative framework in Armenia. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions for assessing the potential of value chains and cluster development in selected regions The study mainly focused on identification and development of opportunities in the regions of Shirak and Aragatsotn that the migrants and the potential migrants need to have to be able to get involved in the labor market in Armenia, or rather in own region. 5 2. SOCIAL-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED REGIONS ARAGATSOTN REGION General Information Aragatsotn region occupies the northwestern part of Armenia and covers an area of 2,756 km² (9.3% of the total area of Armenia). It has internal borders with Shirak region from the north, Lori region from the northeast, Kotayk region from the east, Armavir region from the south and the city of Yerevan from the southwest. Yerevan-Ashtarak-Talin part of strategically important North-South highway passes through the Aragatsotn region. Social conditions Population: As of January, 2017 Aragatsotn region has a population of 128.5 thousand (22% urban, 78% rural) forming around 4.3% of the entire population of Armenia. Economically active population (labor force)1: According to the National Statistical service of RA, total number of economically active population has a decreasing trend over the last years (total number decreased by 24% in 2016 compared to that in 2014). In 2016, the share of unemployed population in total labor force (unemployment rate) was 5.7% (see Graph 1 for details). Graph 1. Breakdown of employed (formal employment) and unemployed population in total labor force in Aragatsotn Total number 67.6 thsd 54.4 thsd 51.1 thsd of labor force 5.0% 5.5% 5.7% 95.0% 94.5% 94.3% 2014 2015 2016 Employed population Unemployed population Source: National Statistical Service of RA. Labor market, 2017 1 National Statistical Service of RA defines economically active population (labor force) as a group of employed and unemployed population at the age of 15-75 years old. 6 Moreover, the share of formal employment in agriculture sector comprises